The Bear and the Nightingale (The Winternight Trilogy, #1) in Pick-a-Shelf

Nov 14, 2017 Carrie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: demons, fantasy, vampire, winter, russia, folktales, folklore

I think I loved this even more the second time around.

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Mar 18, 2019 Joanie rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-for-all-seasons, 2019

It took me a little while to get into this one, partially because I was half listening to the audio book while running around doing other things but once I was able to pay attention and keep everyone straight I really liked it.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a essentially a fairy tale based on old Russian folktales. It tells the story of Vasya, a wild, willful girl whose mother died in childbirth. Vasya is raised by her nurse, Dunya and grows up hearing about all the old gods and spirits, some g It took me a little while to get into this one, partially because I was half listening to the audio book while running around doing other things but once I was able to pay attention and keep everyone straight I really liked it.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a essentially a fairy tale based on old Russian folktales. It tells the story of Vasya, a wild, willful girl whose mother died in childbirth. Vasya is raised by her nurse, Dunya and grows up hearing about all the old gods and spirits, some good, some bad. In Vanya's village, everyone makes small offerings to the spirits, believing this will protect the village and keep the evil spirits away but only Vasya can actually see and talk to them. For years, the offerings work to keep the evil spirits of Death and Destruction and Fire and Frost at bay but then Vasya's father remarries.

Vasya's stepmother can also see the household spirits but instead of embracing her gift as Vasya does, she views the spirits as demons and becomes fanatically religious in an attempt to keep them away. When a new priest is assigned to the village he urges the entire village to give up their pagan ways and to stop leaving offerings for the old spirits. As the spirits become weaker and weaker they are no longer able to protect the village from the evil gods. The winters become harsher and longer and people begin to starve. And that's just the beginning of what terrors await.

In addition to all this, Vasya has unknowingly been promised to Morozko, the old god of winter, known also as the Frost Demon or the Winter King. Fearing for her safety, Dunya has kept the betrothal a secret from Vasya, telling Morozko she's not ready and trying to marry her off or send her to a convent before he can come for her. As things get worse in the village it seems like Vasya's only chance of saving everyone is to go to Morozko after all.

Arden's writing is beautiful and evocative. It made me want to cozy up by the fire (or made me wish I had a to which I could cozy up) with a glass of wine (the wine I got covered.) I'm excited to see what comes next in the trilogy. ...more

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Jun 14, 2019 Sunflower rated it liked it

Shelves: e-books, fiction-read-2019

I thought I'd made a mistake after starting this, and been lured into reading a children's book. Although fairy stories play a part in this tale, it is far too dark to be a children's book. A wintry fantasy, set in Medieval Russia, it turned out to be a compelling read involving a poor but determined family, a misguided stepmother and a similarly misguided member of the Russian clergy. Not forgetting some completely mythical characters, including the guardians of the households and the Frost Kin ...more

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May 13, 2017 Cora rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, american-author, woman-author, series, mythology, lost-in-fire, death-personified, fairy-tales, russia, gods

I really enjoyed this book about a girl that can see the old gods in Medieval Russia. I always enjoy books based on fairy tales and it was nice to read one based on Russian stories. I liked the Russian old Gods and see a lot of potential for other stories involving them. Vasilisa was a very strong female character, I wish I got to know her a little better. It seemed hard to get a real feel for most of the characters in the book, even those that are prominently featured, but what I did know I lik ...more

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Sep 18, 2018 Kristina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: eo-favorites, read-in-2018, fiction, fiction-historical, fiction-fantasy, want-for-personal-library, fiction-retellings, eo-feminism, eo-series, fiction-adventure

“All my life,” she said, “I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come.’ I am told how I will live, and I am told how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.”

This book was an enchanting portal to another world. I really loved thi “All my life,” she said, “I have been told ‘go’ and ‘come.’ I am told how I will live, and I am told how I must die. I must be a man’s servant and a mare for his pleasure, or I must hide myself behind walls and surrender my flesh to a cold, silent god. I would walk into the jaws of hell itself, if it were a path of my own choosing. I would rather die tomorrow in the forest than live a hundred years of the life appointed me.”

This book was an enchanting portal to another world. I really loved this one. A lot.

A fairy tale with a remarkably magical atmosphere, one I want to revist. It had a fantastic storyline with the perfect amount of creepiness woven in. The heroine of the story was amazing; I really loved her. This has been one of my favorite reads this year and I can't wait to read the next one.

REREAD 2025

This is such a fantastic book! I really enjoy getting to know Vasya as a child. Her family seems to view her as a nuisance or a problem to fix most of the time, but I find her refreshingly authentic. It kind of reminds me a little bit of how the nuns feel about Maria in “The Sound of Music.”

Before we meet Vasya, we meet her mother, Marina, and find out her mother had been well acquainted with magic, maybe even a witch? When Vasya becomes pregnant she knows her unborn daughter will be like her mother, and this makes her determined to have her despite the dangers surrounding her giving birth. Of course, Marina dies in childbirth, creating tension for how Vasya will relate to her family from birth.

The story weaves a web of magic, using a lot of folklore combined with modern ideas. I love how it explores what it means to be a woman, especially during a time when women had very little choice or agency for their own lives. Vasya, seemed to be determined to find a way to dictate her life instead of just handing it over to the men in charge.

The priest and Christianity play an integral role, and it works really well. I like how it shows how he uses fear to control the people, and once the fear sets in, they start to go against nature, causing their village's demise.

My favorite part is probably the slow burn love story between Morozko and Vasya. Their relationship is so interesting and beautiful to watch unfold.

I decided to read this again in preparation for reading the next two. I had read this back in 2018 and I fell in love with it, and it didn’t disappoint this second time around.

...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Lorna rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, retold-fairytales

Perhaps I chose the wrong format for this book. I listened to the audio and it was difficult to keep the characters with all those Russian names straight. Plus it was quite slow in places.

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